This NFU 'produced to our standards' malarkey

[delilah]

‘Nothing should be imported in to the UK that is not produced to our environmental and welfare standards’.
This has become a central tenet of the NFU’s representation of the industry.
But what does it mean ?

There are 1001 rules and regulations that affect UK primary food producers. With which of them does the NFU wish to see parity ?
Would a beef farmer in Africa need to have a fallen stock provision equal to ours ?
Would an apple producer in Asia need to provide a portaloo for pickers ?
Would a chicken rearer in South America need to meet our building regulations for a new broiler house ?
Would a wheat grower in China need to have a bunded fuel tank and chemical store ?
Would a mushroom producer in Eastern Europe have to pay a living wage ?

Short of Jacob Rees-Mogg reinstating the British Empire, and imposing all of our rules on our subjugates, does anyone see meaningful parity being achieved in their farming lifetime ?
Or is it time for the NFU to recognise that, if you wish to influence the marketplace, it is more constructive to stimulate demand than to try and control supply ?

Should the NFU ditch the call for import parity, recognising it as unenforceable virtue signalling, and instead make the following a cornerstone of their campaigning:
‘No Government department, agency, contractor or quango, is to purchase food from abroad if it can be produced in the UK’ ?

So many questions .

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Will never happen ,
And how could you police it anyhow

 

[milkloss]

Ban glyphosate. Don't allow the import of produce that has glypho used in its production. I like this idea for a start.

 

[yellow belly]

Ban glyphosate. Don't allow the import of produce that has glypho used in its production. I like this idea for a start.

The uk would starve and most livestock farming would be impossible with out imported gm feed imports
they would not be enough protein to go round

 

[milkloss]

The uk would starve and most livestock farming would be impossible with out imported gm feed imports
they would not be enough protein to go round

It would hopefully create a balanced supply and demand to all famers' benefit. Ban GM too and no importation of products or products produced using GM.

Could get ugly though.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

‘Nothing should be imported in to the UK that is not produced to our environmental and welfare standards’.
This has become a central tenet of the NFU’s representation of the industry.
But what does it mean ?

There are 1001 rules and regulations that affect UK primary food producers. With which of them does the NFU wish to see parity ?
Would a beef farmer in Africa need to have a fallen stock provision equal to ours ?
Would an apple producer in Asia need to provide a portaloo for pickers ?
Would a chicken rearer in South America need to meet our building regulations for a new broiler house ?
Would a wheat grower in China need to have a bunded fuel tank and chemical store ?
Would a mushroom producer in Eastern Europe have to pay a living wage ?

Short of Jacob Rees-Mogg reinstating the British Empire, and imposing all of our rules on our subjugates, does anyone see meaningful parity being achieved in their farming lifetime ?
Or is it time for the NFU to recognise that, if you wish to influence the marketplace, it is more constructive to stimulate demand than to try and control supply ?

Should the NFU ditch the call for import parity, recognising it as unenforceable virtue signalling, and instead make the following a cornerstone of their campaigning:
‘No Government department, agency, contractor or quango, is to purchase food from abroad if it can be produced in the UK’ ?

So many questions .

It means nothing should be imported whatsoever, as no other country in the world subjects itself to the degree of regulation as the UK.
It's unrealistic to expect them to derail their economies to do so, that's your pigeon to race.

Best sharpen up your soldering irons, as you've got a whole lot of electronics to supply just for a start, because there is also no way someone on the dole is going to go to work for £3/ day making them if they can get £30 to stay home

 

[Henarar]

It means nothing should be imported whatsoever, as no other country in the world subjects itself to the degree of regulation as the UK.
It's unrealistic to expect them to derail their economies to do so, that's your pigeon to race.

Best sharpen up your soldering irons, as you've got a whole lot of electronics to supply just for a start, because there is also no way someone on the dole is going to go to work for £3/ day making them if they can get £30 to stay home

if a regulation is made to do with human health in this country how can the gov then support imports from countries that carry on with what has been banned here to the supposed detriment of human health either here or where the product comes from ?
could be seem as racist for a start

 

[Kiwi Pete]

if a regulation is made to do with human health in this country how can the gov then support imports from countries that carry on with what has been banned here to the supposed detriment of human health either here or where the product comes from ?
could be seem as racist for a start

Would they expect "children" overseas to wait until 16 before they're "old enough" to go out into the world and earn a crust?
Because they would've starved to death aged 9 most likely, there simply isn't socialist policy in many places where goods are produced.

Simplest option is to vote with your pound and not buy £2 teeshirts etc etc, buy a locally made one worth £5 with a £30 price tag. It's great for the GDP

but it's also "discrimination" and they banned that already

 

[Henarar]

So its ok to import problems or export problems but we can't produce things with problems and use them here.
Ok thats fine I understand now

 

[digger64]

It means nothing should be imported whatsoever, as no other country in the world subjects itself to the degree of regulation as the UK.
It's unrealistic to expect them to derail their economies to do so, that's your pigeon to race.

Best sharpen up your soldering irons, as you've got a whole lot of electronics to supply just for a start, because there is also no way someone on the dole is going to go to work for £3/ day making them if they can get £30 to stay home

Is this true in relation to our European neighbours ?

 

[Spencer]

It would hopefully create a balanced supply and demand to all famers' benefit. Ban GM too and no importation of products or products produced using GM.

Could get ugly though.

It would just mean most imported grains would be classed as glyphosate free if they hadn’t had it applied after they reached our ports..

 

[Derrick Hughes]

It would just mean most imported grains would be classed as glyphosate free if they hadn’t had it applied after they reached our ports..

Best not it this year , going too be a masive shortage surley

 

[jendan]

‘Nothing should be imported in to the UK that is not produced to our environmental and welfare standards’.
This has become a central tenet of the NFU’s representation of the industry.
But what does it mean ?

There are 1001 rules and regulations that affect UK primary food producers. With which of them does the NFU wish to see parity ?
Would a beef farmer in Africa need to have a fallen stock provision equal to ours ?
Would an apple producer in Asia need to provide a portaloo for pickers ?
Would a chicken rearer in South America need to meet our building regulations for a new broiler house ?
Would a wheat grower in China need to have a bunded fuel tank and chemical store ?
Would a mushroom producer in Eastern Europe have to pay a living wage ?

Short of Jacob Rees-Mogg reinstating the British Empire, and imposing all of our rules on our subjugates, does anyone see meaningful parity being achieved in their farming lifetime ?
Or is it time for the NFU to recognise that, if you wish to influence the marketplace, it is more constructive to stimulate demand than to try and control supply ?

Should the NFU ditch the call for import parity, recognising it as unenforceable virtue signalling, and instead make the following a cornerstone of their campaigning:
‘No Government department, agency, contractor or quango, is to purchase food from abroad if it can be produced in the UK’ ?

So many questions .

I often feel uneasy at the NFU and Batters pushing this line.We should be careful what we wish for.Not all parts of the world have poor production standards,and many have kinder climates and easier extensive greener methods of livestock production than us.I am told,although i have never been there,that Argentina and Uruguay have superb cattle,and production and slaughtering facilities as good as anywhere in the world.Their production costs are probably less than half of ours as well.

 

[traineefarmer]

‘Nothing should be imported in to the UK that is not produced to our environmental and welfare standards’.
This has become a central tenet of the NFU’s representation of the industry.
But what does it mean ?

There are 1001 rules and regulations that affect UK primary food producers. With which of them does the NFU wish to see parity ?
Would a beef farmer in Africa need to have a fallen stock provision equal to ours ?
Would an apple producer in Asia need to provide a portaloo for pickers ?
Would a chicken rearer in South America need to meet our building regulations for a new broiler house ?
Would a wheat grower in China need to have a bunded fuel tank and chemical store ?
Would a mushroom producer in Eastern Europe have to pay a living wage ?

Short of Jacob Rees-Mogg reinstating the British Empire, and imposing all of our rules on our subjugates, does anyone see meaningful parity being achieved in their farming lifetime ?
Or is it time for the NFU to recognise that, if you wish to influence the marketplace, it is more constructive to stimulate demand than to try and control supply ?

Should the NFU ditch the call for import parity, recognising it as unenforceable virtue signalling, and instead make the following a cornerstone of their campaigning:
‘No Government department, agency, contractor or quango, is to purchase food from abroad if it can be produced in the UK’ ?

So many questions .

It's not often I find myself agreeing with one of your posts but you are 100% correct to be questioning the NFU's position on this.

If we protect ourselves from imports, and as other have pointed out no one else in the world meets our standards then there is no longer an argument for subsidising UK agriculture.

Food imports will have to continue and we will have to accept that they will not be produced to UK standards. In response we will have to keep our end up - not just through production standards but also in eating quality, flavour, etc. to give consumers good reason to buy our product rather than just patriotic flag waving.

The NFU and AHDB job in this should be to promote our excellent produce and standards over imports and expose poor practices from abroad. Let the public decide. If we are really as good as we think we are, then all will be fine.

 

[Clive]

Will never happen ,
And how could you police it anyhow

correct - it breaks WTO rules so lobbying our government to do this is waste of time (and money in the nfl’s case).

much as it makes sense they simply can not do this and have already said so

 

[wanton dwarf]

Ban glyphosate. Don't allow the import of produce that has glypho used in its production. I like this idea for a start.

Why ?

Most other chemicals are far more damaging, including the chemicals used in every kitchen in the UK.

 

[Scholsey]

When you have China saying they want to buy our beef but not from farms that have had TB in last 2 years yet they start possibly the most serious pandemic virus in the history of mankind from eating diseased bats it’s makes a bit of a mockery of it all.

 

[wanton dwarf]

It would hopefully create a balanced supply and demand to all famers' benefit. Ban GM too and no importation of products or products produced using GM.

Could get ugly though.

GM is already banned .. but instead GM foods get imported for livestock feed and finished products like Soya milk.

One of the reasons why the Amazon rain forest is being destroyed is because you can grow GM Soya in Brazil but you can't grow it in the UK.

Regardless, how and who is going to check millions of tonnes of imported produce ?

GM crops require less chemicals .. the propaganda against GM is just that, hatred based on hypocrasy. Banned from being grown in the UK but can be eaten by anyone.

 

[wanton dwarf]

When you have China saying they want to buy our beef but not from farms that have had TB in last 2 years yet they start possibly the most serious pandemic virus in the history of mankind from eating diseased bats it’s makes a bit of a mockery of it all.

Given the fact Labour allowed TB to break out of the TB hotspot decades ago .. they knew exactly what they were doing in destroying UK farmer's prospects.

TB will continue to thrive because it's being used by Labour to punish Conservative voting farmers.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

The main push should be clearer labelling, less confusing displays in shops and send out clear messages on the welfare and environmental benefits of buying British , the NFU president has already said there are no health risks in eating Clorine Treated Chicken , so cleary explain why UK consumers should not be buying it